A top baker has revealed how he burned the fingers of the Prince of Wales and had a run in with the royal security team at a stately home.

Alan Jones, chairman of the Village Bakery, recalled the incident while he was recreating a scene from the official opening of Erddig Hall in Wrexham in 1977.

The guest of honour was Prince Charles and Alan was recruited to bake bread in the old brick oven.

As part of a rebranding of Village Bakery, celebrating its 80th anniversary this year, Alan was back at Erddig Hall filming a video to go on the company’s new website.

The filming brought back memories of the day Prince Charles was invited by the National Trust after it restored the mansion in readiness to open it to the public.

Alan recalled: “Timing was important because they wanted bread coming out of the oven as Prince Charles came to the kitchen.

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“Luckily, we had it dead right. Just as he was walking through the kitchen with his entourage I was peeling bread out of the oven after being baked for 40 minutes.

“I popped the bread on the table and in his wisdom the Prince picked up a loaf which was red hot because it had just come out of the oven.

“Basically he burnt his hand. I apologised and he was absolutely fine and we had a nice chat.

“After he left for another part of the visit, I got the bread together with some rolls and took them to where his helicopter was parked.

“I was across carrying two carrier bags full of fresh bread when all of a sudden I was pounced on by security but they were okay once I explained that it was for the Prince’s picnic on Anglesey.”

The memorable occasion was one of many highlights in Alan’s 50 year career at the Village Bakery.

Alan started out as an apprentice baker in Liverpool in 1959 In 1964 he and his father, Harry, then bought what became the Village Bakery in Coedpoeth, near Wrexham, from the Edwards Brothers who had established the business 30 years earlier.

He added: “After a difficult first 18 months, we have gone from strength to strength.”